


A Long Evening

by mynameisnotthepoint



Category: Druck | SKAM (Germany)
Genre: Annoying Flatmates, Gen, Introspection, Noise Sensitivity, mentions of Matteo's dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 08:19:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19808371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mynameisnotthepoint/pseuds/mynameisnotthepoint
Summary: The thought of leaving his room and asking the group of enthusiastically arguing philosophy students to pipe it down while trying to achieve world domination makes him sink further into his mattress. His only option on this normal Wednesday evening seems to be pressing his headphones, from which soothing music emits at maximum volume, as close to his ears as he can manage.Matteo wants to sleep, Hans is doing a games' night, Mia is at Alex' place and Linn just wants peace and quiet. Nothing but a normal evening at the flatshare.





	A Long Evening

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rikotin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikotin/gifts).
  * A translation of [Lange Tage](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19114678) by [mynameisnotthepoint](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mynameisnotthepoint/pseuds/mynameisnotthepoint). 



> I was not really planning on translating this, but here we are! This was inspired by my own experiences in flat shares! I also want to stress that I have changed it up a bit from the German original, but only with the phrasing in a few parts!

Raucous laughter. The loud clinking sound of glasses colliding. Ecstatic whooping, followed by enthusiastic clapping. Even though his door is completely closed, the sounds reverberate against the walls, their echoes intensifying and flooding the room with waves upon waves of deafening sound.  


Those cheap headphones never stood a chance.

He is dead tired, has been for the whole day. His plan had been to catch up on sleep, and he’d actually gone to bed early. What he hadn’t known, a few hours ago, was that Hans was doing a board games’ night. They had even invited him. With a tentative smile, Andi had stuck his head around his door to ask him if he wanted to join in on a Monopoly game. He’d excused himself quickly because the room had already been dark.  


The thought of leaving his room and asking the group of enthusiastically arguing philosophy students to pipe it down while trying to achieve world domination makes him sink further into his mattress. His only option on this normal Wednesday evening seem to be pressing his headphones, from which soothing music emits at maximum volume, as close to his ears as he can manage.

Sometimes, unwanted memories of his dad resurface when he holds the headphones in his hands. These headphones are the last thing his father ever bought him. A parting gift he’d gotten without realizing what it was. His dad had left a few days later. Since then, the only thing he gets from his dad is money. He refuses to look at his bank account statements, too painful to see the balance get upped by a large amount every month, even more so on important days. Gone is his parent, what’s left is a money transfer.  


It’s quiet for a moment. The laughing and chatter has paused. Flatmates can be a blessing and a curse. He wonders if Hans just forgets sometimes that you can, in fact, go without talking and stay silent. However, he has the right to be as bubbly and loud and happy as he wants. Hans really is one of the wisest and nicest people he knows. Just a bit inconsiderate sometimes.  


David would’ve said something. He would’ve gone into the living room, gotten Hans and his friends to shut up with his blinding smile and made them aware of the fact that it was already past eleven thirty. But David isn’t here. He had to sleep at home because he had an important appointment just a few doors down from his own flat. Laura insisted on him staying the night, saying it made no sense to sleep over if David had to get up way earlier to be there on time. Had he been with him, David would have hugged him close and hushed sweet nothings into his ear. But David isn’t here.

He’s way too exhausted to hoist his laptop from where it’s lying on the floor onto the bed and opening up Netflix. And that is nothing compared to the weight of making a decision on what to watch. All he can do is lie in bed and stare at the grey pillow next to him. With the money he’d get from returning all those bottles lying around in his room, he’d almost be able to afford new headphones.

The same album has just started playing for a third time. His phone’s under the duvet, which is heavy as lead. This prevents him from having to choose another one.

There’s a knock on the door. It’s hesitant, as if the person at the other side of the door doesn’t know if they want to enter or stay outside. Must be Linn.

With a sigh, he takes off his headphones. The music softly continues to play from where they’re lying on the duvet.

“Yeah?”

“Matteo, can I come in?” a voice whispers.

“Sure.”

He’s not sure, but Linn is nice, if a little reserved, and even if he can’t offer her much in return right now, he doesn’t want to completely barricade himself in his room.  


Carefully, as if it were made of fine porcelain, the door is opened and Linn appears on the threshold. She enters and slowly pushes the door closed behind her.

“Mia is at Alex’ place and Hans’ friends are sitting in the kitchen and want the whole neighborhood to experience their get-together.”

“Oh. If y’wanna stay here, feel free.”

Getting himself into an upright position is tough.

“D’you wanna watch something?”

“That’d be great. But nothing sad.”

“Could you hand me my laptop? Next to the bed.”

“OK.”

She gets the laptop off the floor and then just stands there, wavering. 

“Y’can sit on the bed if y’want. Has fresh bedding an’ everything.”

“OK.”

She smiles shyly and sits down at the other end of the bed, in a way that is close to the edge, but not close enough to fall off of it. As if she would take up too much space if she weren’t curled up in the corner. 

“What should we watch?”

Now she asks him. Nothing sad. But nothings one hundred percent happy. Maybe a movie from his childhood? When he was little, he used to watch this one Disney movie with his mom, the one with the cooking rat. Maybe that’s the reason why he manages to throw together anything resembling a meal when he’s in the kitchen.

“Ratatouille?”

“If you know where to find it?”

“Sure.”

He opens up the browser. Finds the movie. Clicks the play button. Then, he places the laptop right in the middle between them, in a way that they can both watch without having to sit awkwardly pressed together.  


It’s nice to have someone else in the room. Closeness is so much more than being physically connected. And Linn, sitting on the bed with him, is just what he needs. A calming presence.

Flatmates can be a blessing and a curse, and right now, he doesn’t regret having let them in. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Have you had experiences living with flatmates? What do you think of Matteo's characterization here? ❤


End file.
